I've Got Batman in My Basement
| season = 1 | number = 20 | image = File:I've Got Batman in my Basement Title Card.jpg | imagewidth = 250 | airdate = 30 September, 1992 | director = Frank Paur | writer = Sam Graham Chris Hubbell | story = | teleplay = | music = Shirley Walker | previous1 = Fear of Victory | next1 = Vendetta | previous2 = It's Never Too Late | next2 = Heart of Ice }} I've Got Batman in My Basement is an episode of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series. It features the first appearance of the classic villain The Penguin on the show. I've Got Batman in My Basement is the 13th episode produced and the 20th episode aired. Synopsis While attempting to regain a stolen Faberge Egg from The Penguin, Batman is sprayed with nerve gas by the fowl fellow. Now unconscious, Batman is rescued by a 12-year-old aspiring detective who hides him in his basement. It's up to the precocious kid to figure out how to revive the comatose crime fighter before The Penguin finds him. Plot It's night in Gotham City and, typically, a crime is being committed. Two thugs swipe the Vonalster Fabergé Egg and attempt to make their escape. Before they can get far, Batman confronts them. However, before Batman can attack the thugs, a giant South American Vulture attacks him. While Batman manages to fight it off, the thugs get away. The only clue left behind is a bunch of birdseed. Elsewhere, in Gotham's suburbs, two children, Sherman and Roberta, look through a Jr. Detective kit filled with novelty spy items. As they look through it, two older boys, Frank and Nick, show up and start hassling the couple by taking the stuff. Frank takes the binoculars and sees Penguin's vulture, which he believes to be a hawk. Sherman sees it and decides that its presence is a mystery and he and Roberta follow after it. The vulture flies into an abandoned birdseed factory. The children follow and spy on the thugs from the heist before. Soon the Penguin shows up and demands the egg. Sherman immediately recognizes it as the Vonalster Fabergé Egg, as well as recognizing the Penguin, and decides that they have to alert the authorities. However, Penguin’s vulture, Scrap, notices them and tries to attack, but Batman catches it in a net and buries Penguin and his men in birdseed. The two kids try to escape, but accidentally activate a conveyor belt leading to a grinder. Batman manages to save the kids and advances on the Penguin, but is hit with a gas pellet from the umbrella that causes him to weaken. Staggering into the Batmobile, he collapses. Sherman and Roberta, who are nearby, shove him in and get into the vehicle themselves. Desperate to close the car, Sherman starts erratically pushing buttons and eventually manages to get the car shut just before the crooks get there. However, Penguin and his men climb onto the car and try to break in. Frightened, the kids start the car and take the criminals on a wild, hazardous ride. Eventually, the criminals are thrown from the car, and the kids manage to escape. Back in Sherman's basement, Batman is laid upon a couch and manages to force out the word "cap...sule". The kids don't understand his meaning and Batman tries to further explain but only manages to say "visor". This doesn't help anything either. Roberta decides that it's time to call the police, but Sherman refuses, claiming they must protect the identity of their client. Later, Frank and Nick show up and discover the Batmobile after knocking over the boxes that hide it. While playing around in it, they discover a package of capsules under the car's visor. Sherman suddenly realizes what Batman meant and takes the capsules, but Scrap arrives and sees the Batmobile. Sherman manages to run inside and is followed by the older boys. Upon discovering Batman, they try to unmask him, but Sherman stops them. Just then, the Penguin and his men arrive and disable the phones, thereby preventing the kids from calling the police. The trio breaks in and begins to search the place. As they do, they run into traps set by the kids using equipment from Batman's Utility Belt. Unfortunately, the traps only prove to be minor delays. After being ineffectually assaulted by the kids, Penguin and his men chase them into the basement, where Penguin finds the egg and tries to kill Batman with a blade from his umbrella. However, Batman finally snaps out of his stupor and attacks. He easily manages to beat Penguin's thugs and, after a brief sword fight with the Penguin (in which Batman uses a screwdriver), he manages to capture the criminal mastermind. Just then, Mrs. Grant arrives and is furious to find her house in such a state. However, she forgets about being angry when she sees Batman. Later, Sherman hangs up two newspaper articles about the Penguin's humiliating capture and Scrap being taken to the Gotham Zoo. Sherman now has the respect of Nick and Frank, who are now working with him on his own Jr. Detective agency. Cast ---- }} Category:Episodes Category:Season 1 Category:Penguin Episodes Category:Directed by Frank Paur Category:Soundtrack by Shirley Walker Category:Animation by Dong Yang Animation Category:Character Debut Episodes